


13 1/2 Opportunities To Kiss You

by ViolaWay



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, The X Factor Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-19
Updated: 2013-06-19
Packaged: 2017-12-15 11:30:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/849053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ViolaWay/pseuds/ViolaWay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis really wants to kiss Harry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	13 1/2 Opportunities To Kiss You

The first time Louis wanted to kiss Harry, it was in the bathroom three minutes after their initial meeting. They were staring at each other bashfully, and Harry was still gabbling sweet little apologies for splashing Louis with his pee. Louis laughed and said that it was fine, and he really wanted to kiss Harry quiet.

But he didn’t.               

 

The second time was in the elation of getting put together, of being in a group that was going through to Judge’s Houses, of being with _Harry._ He leapt into Harry’s arms anyway and if his lips brushed the curls then who was to know? He kissed Harry’s hair, but he really wanted to snog him full on the mouth, to start something different, something new.

But he didn’t.

 

The third time, he was asked. They were playing truth or dare, in Harry’s step-dad’s house, and Liam and Zayn had already kissed (Liam was still bright red), and then it was Louis’ go.

“Lou, you should kiss Harry!” Niall suggested instantly, like he’d been waiting for his opportunity to pounce.

Louis panicked.

“I-I’ve got a girlfriend,” he stuttered. And he did. He had Hannah. He still wanted to kiss Harry.

But he didn’t.

 

The urge to kiss Harry was almost constant during their time on The X Factor. But the times he came closest (four and five), were when they were kidding around in the Video Diaries, Louis biting his shoulder and the tension electric. They all hoped the cameras wouldn’t pick it up, but none of them actually mentioned that the sheer amount of sexual tension in the room was probably going to make them all hard in a minute.

Number five occurred when the news came, the news that they were in third place and that it was over: they hadn’t won. And Harry’s tears flowed fast and free, with Louis wishing and praying that he could kiss them away.

But he didn’t.

 

After that, it was never really a significant moment. It would be when Harry had ice cream on his nose or when he was laughing too hard at one of Louis’ jokes. It was when they entered their new apartment and Louis carried Harry over the threshold like he was a bride (because at some point in time Louis had actually been able to carry the younger boy). There were times when Harry would bring him tea in bed and they’d sit and watch TV like that was all that would ever be.

Those were six, seven, eight and nine. Just being able to say that Harry was his and that he was Harry’s, even if it was just in friendship.

He wanted to kiss Harry every day, every minute.

But he didn’t.

 

Number ten occurred when Harry didn’t even know Louis was there. A date with Eleanor over, and a sense of relief that came with it. Management, understandably, wanted him to appear to be less infatuated with Harry. Because apparently it was obvious to everyone except said infatuation.

Harry was crying, He was sat on Louis’ bed, curled up in a jumper that was too small for him, and he was crying.

That was when Louis realised.

Harry was in love with him, too. Or something like it. And maybe he should have jumped for joy or been stupidly happy or kissed Harry, but no. He stood there, and a sadness crept up on him, because this could _never happen._ Management wouldn’t let them be together, and they’d end up ruining everything for themselves and for the band.

He wanted to tell Harry that he was there. He wanted to tell Harry that he loved him, too. He wanted to kiss Harry Styles until the tears went away.

But he didn’t.

 

By the eleventh time, it was just getting stupid, and Louis might have just been looking for excuses. But it was the awkward moment where they went in for a hug and their heads went the same way and then their lips were almost touching, and they just stopped. The world stopped. Neither one moved.

Then Louis ducked his head and let out a half-cough, half-laugh, and then he was stepping out of Harry’s arms and he needed to sit down and splash his face with cold water because it felt like he was on fire.

He wanted to run back up to Harry and finish what they’d started.

But he didn’t.

 

The twelfth time, it was a game. Because they both knew. They both knew what the other wanted, and it was outrageous. It was water bottles and tight jeans and fucking _bananas._ And that all counted towards the twelfth time, when Louis just lost it and strode across the room, eyes fixed on Harry’s _sinful_ mouth, fully intending to just drop his pride and go for it. But then, as fast as it had come, the resolve fizzled out, and he stepped back.

He wanted to kiss Harry. Harry wanted him to kiss him.

But he didn’t.

 

Thirteenth time, Harry actually _asked._

“Lou, what if we kissed?” he asked, and there was alcohol in his tone since they had just gone through an entire bottle of red wine and they were both feeling sleepy and warm.

“It’d be bad, Haz,” Louis mumbled, although he couldn’t quite remember why.

“Wanna kiss you…”

They fell asleep wrapped around each other, and when they woke up Louis couldn’t remember if they’d kissed or not. He should have asked Harry.

But he didn’t.

 

And time thirteen and a half, the final time, that was when it actually happened. It should have been romantic, and it should have been extra romantic because of everything that had been leading up to it, but it wasn’t. It was another time when they went from a tickle fight to fake making out and giggling like children, and then it stopped.

They stared at each other for a few minutes or an hour or all of eternity, when the laughter faded away and their bodies were on top of each other and they were so _close…_

And Louis leaned in.

He shouldn’t have kissed Harry that day. There were a thousand reasons not to: Eleanor (even if she was just a beard), Management, the band, his sexuality and Harry’s, but he didn’t think about any of them as his lips pressed into Harry’s and it was better than he’d imagined it. He didn’t bear it any mind and their tongues curled around each other. He shouldn’t have kissed Harry.

But he did.

**Author's Note:**

> I just really, really like kissing fics 
> 
> tumblr: oopshidaisy


End file.
